Dental light



AP 28, l936- A. sTUTz E1- Ar.

DENTAL LIGHT Filed June '19, 1935 Patented Ap'r 2s, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a novel and improved illuminating means particularly adapted for association with a dental drill, whereby desired' and necessary illumination may be provided for the interior of the mouth of the patient while work is being performed upon him.

The main object of the invention is to provide in combination with a dental drill illuminating means so disposed as to provide illumi` nation for the interior of the mouth, and novel and improved means for mounting said illuminating means in such manner as to give the desired result. f

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved illuminating means associated with a dental drill for illuminating the interior of the patients mouth, whereby overhead lights usually necessary in a dental ofce may be eliminated, resulting not only in a saving of electric current, but also eliminating the glare from said overhead lights with the added comfort to both the patient and the dentist.

A still further object of the invention is to Yprovide novell and improved illuminating means for association with a dental drill to provide the desired illumination for the patients mouth, which illuminating means maybe readily attached to the drilling apparatus without necessitating an alteration or changing the 'construc-l tion of said apparatus. r

Still another object of the invention is to provide illuminating' means of the character described which will be simple in manufacture, assembly and operation, which may be constructed along lines convenient for low cost of production, and which, at the same time, willbe highly efficient for carrying out the purposes for which it isdesigned.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully described,.illus trated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It

is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

'For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of our invention, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following, de-

scription, our invention, its mode of construction, operation and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which similar characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts through the several figures:

Figure f 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a dental drilling apparatus embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom-plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure I is a fragmentary elevational view of Figure 1; and 1 Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view of one ofthe spring contacts showing the method of contacting the lower terminal of the wires to the inverted cup members.

Referring to the drawing morespeclcally by characters of reference, the numeral IIJ, designates a bracketI having the receptaclei I, adjacent one end thereof, the side flanges I2, extending longitudinally thereof,'and a substantially circular portion I3, with an upward' turned` ange 56, having afhole to permit the passage of the screw 51, by means of which the ring 5I, of insulating material, will be prevented from turning 3U relative to the member I0. The substantially circular portion I3, is provided with the central opening I4. The receptacle II, may be of conventional construction and has a pair of electric conductors I6, and I1, extending therefrom, said receptacle being adapted for cooperation with a suitable plug I8, connected to the conductor I9, for supplying the necessary current to the conductors I6, and I1.

An opening 20, is provided in the top 58, of the bracket I0, to permit the passage therethrough of the conductors I 6, and I1, as shown in Figure 2.

The exposed portion of the conductors I6, and I1, are covered by a guard 65, which is made fast by means of its flange S6,-and rivet 68, to the top 58, of the bracket I0, and by means of its side flanges 61 61, and rivets 69 69, to the side flanges I2 I2, oi the bracket I0. The reference character 22, designates generally a. hollow sleevelike member provided with an enlarged suitable portion 23, adjacent its upper end and an enlarged cylindrical hollow portion 24, adjacent at its lower end. Within the hollow portion 23, is mounted a suitable nbre piece 35, which is retained by means of the paste 59,' to the bottom wall of receptacle 26, provided in the suitable portion 23.

Disposed within said suitable bre piece 35, are the conducting wires 30, and 3 I respectively. The conducting wire 3I, is soldered at its upper terminal to the contact spring 60, disposed within the receptacle 6I, of the suitable fibre piece 35.

The bulb 36, disposed within a suitable cover piece 62, made of brass, is adapted to make contact with the said spring 60, for the purpose of receiving the necessary electric current for illuminating the said bulb. The suitable cover piece 62, made of brass, is made fast to the suitable piece 35, made of insulating material, by means of screws 63 63.

The conducting wire 30, terminates within the groove 64, of the suitable piece 35, made of insulating material, adjacent to its top, and contacts with the suitable brass cover piece 62, by means of which the circuit is completed.

The said conducting wires 30, and 3|, respectivelyextend downwardly and are received in longitudinal grooves 32, and 33, respectively, provided in the interior of the hollow sleeve member 22, said conducting wires being adapted for making contact with the conductors I6, and I1, respectively, in the manner to be presently more fully described.

Disposed within the upper end of the sleeve member 22, is a tubular member 31, which member extends into said sleeve member 22, and has a press t therein. The member 31, also projects beyond the upper end of the sleeve 22, as shown in Figure 1, and is provided with a bore 14, extending completely therethrough through which extends the drill shaft 38, having a longitudinal hole 10, tothe upper end of which is attached the drill 39.

The bulb 36, as will be noted from Figure 1, is so disposed as to provide the necessary illumination for the interior of the patients mouth when the drill is inoperative position within the patients mouth. The drill shaft 38, extends through the sleeve 22, and through a member 40, which is received in the lower portion of the sleeve 22, said member 40, also having a press t within the interior of said sleeve 22. screw 13, disposed within the enlarged cylindrical hollow portion 24, of the hollow sleeve like member 22 retains the member 40, in its place.

To complete the assembly of our improved device, there is mounted within the hollow interior of the enlarged portion 24, of the sleeve 22, a fibre ring 4I, provided with the recesses 42, and 43, respectively. Disposed within said recesses 42, and 43, are inverted cup members 44, and 45, respectively, said cup members being of conducting material, and being arranged in contacting engagement with the wires 30, and 3l, respectively,

The inner cup members 41, and 48, respectively,

The-

are in constant contacting engagement with the semi-circular rings 49, and 50, respectively, which rings are made of suitable conducting material and are disposed within recesses provided therefor in the ring 5I, of insulating material. Said 'members 49, and 50, are insulated from each other by means of the portions 52, and 53, of the insulating material of the ring 5I, as shown on Figure 6 of the drawing.

The insulating ring 5I, is provided with a depending iiange portion 15, ofreduced diameter, which has a press iit within the opening I4, of the bracket I0.

The member 5I, has the conductors I6, and I1, respectively, passed therethrough, the end of said conductors being disposed within the grooves 1I, and 12, respectively, adjacent to the bottom of the semi-circular rings 49, and 50, respectively, and the member 5I, whereby a good contact will be had between the conductors I6, and I1, and the semi-circular` members 50, and 5I, respectively.

It will be apparent that when in assembled position, the members 49, and 50, respectively, will be in contacting engagement with the inner cup members 41, and 48, respectively, by Vreason of the springs 46, said springs also being effective to carry the current by means of the inverted cup members 44, and 45, respectively, to the lower terminals of the conductors 30, and 3I, respectively. The upper terminals of the conductors 30, and 3|, respectively, are disposed within the bre piece 35, which through the medium of the member 62, will complete the circuit to the bulb 36, for illuminating the same.

From the above it will be apparent that we have produced a device which will be highly efiicient for producing the desired illumination within the interior of the patients mouth, thereby eliminating the necessity for the conventional overhead lights with the resulting comfort to both the dentist and the patient.

I It will also be noticed that we have provided a novel and improved contact means for the current conducting members which will not be jarred out of contacting engagement by reason of the vibration present in devices of this character. It will also be noted that the device is one which may be produced commercially at a low cost and at the same time be simple in its assembly and operation.

It is believed that our invention, its mode of construction, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are, nevertheless, capable of wide variation within the purview of our invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with a dental drill, of a sleevelike member surrounding the same, a hollow suitable portion provided on said sleevelike member adjacent the upper end thereof, an electric bulb disposedwithin said hollow suitable portion and arranged parallel with the axis of said drill, a second hollow cylindrical portion provided at the other end of said sleevelike memarranged below said spring pressed contacts, electric conductors connected to said fixed contacting members, said last mentioned conductors being connected to a/,s'upply of electric current.

2. In combinationYV with a dental drill, of illuminating rneans associated with said drill for producing illumination Within the interior of the patients mouth, said illuminating means coinprising a bulb arranged adjacent parallel with ythe axis of the drill, and means for supplyingV electric current to said bulb, said means including a pair of conductors leading from a source o! current, `a guid'e for said conductors, xed semifcircular conducting rlngs'connected with said conductors, spring contacts in constant engagement with said fixed semi-circular rings, a second pair of conductors having one of the terminals connected -to said spring contacts, the

other of the terminals of said last mentioned conductorsbeing disposed in position for coxn` pleting the circuit of the illuminating bulb.

ADAM STUTZ. JACOB MILSTEAD. 

